On the occasion of the Palestinian Martyrs' Day, the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas stated the following:
 
The Palestinian people, at home and in diaspora, commemorate the Palestinian Martyrs' Day to reflect the value of martyrdom for the sake of liberation from the occupation and spare no effort to restore the Palestinian legitimate rights and defend national constants and holy sites, foremost are Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. 

This year's anniversary comes as Palestinian martyrs continue to fall every day in the quest for liberation and return; their blood will remain the fuel of the Palestinian struggle by fighting the Israeli occupation, repulsing its aggression, and winning every battle – last but not least is the "Sword of Al-Quds" battle. 

As we, in Hamas, salute all Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim martyrs at home and abroad who have fallen while defending Palestine and its constants and holy sites since the beginning of the Israeli occupation, we affirm that we will remain committed to the resistance approach and state the following:  
 
First: The value of martyrdom will remain an established doctrine in the minds of all Palestinian generations; all Israeli occupation schemes aimed at undermining or tarnishing it are bound to fail. 

Throughout history, Palestinian martyrs are a symbol of freedom and unity and icon for independence and liberation from the occupation for the Palestinians, the Arab and Muslim world, and the free peoples of the world. 

Second: We will remain loyal to the Palestinian martyrs' families, whose loved ones have sacrificed their lives for the sake of Palestine. Supporting them and taking care of their affairs is a national and humanitarian duty that we will not accept to be subjected to any political blackmail.
 
We condemn and reject the Palestinian Authority's (PA) decision to cut stipends for the Palestinian martyrs' families in Gaza; we call on the PA to restore such payments which guarantee them a decent life. 
 
As we highly appreciate the sacrifices made by all Palestinian families, we stress that these families will remain at the center of our attention and an integral part of the Palestinian national fabric.  

Third: The occupation's continued withholding of 253 bodies of Palestinian martyrs in the so-called "Cemeteries of Numbers" is a crime and a blatant violation of heavenly religions and humanitarian norms; this desperate attempt will not succeed in degrading the Palestinians or deterring them from continuing their legitimate fight to regain their rights and liberate their lands. 
As we reaffirm our rejection to include this matter in any future negotiation or prisoner exchange deal, we call on all humanitarian organizations and human rights groups around the world to embrace this issue and place pressure on the Israeli occupation to release the bodies of Palestinian martyrs to be buried in their homeland.   
 
Fourth: Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people will not be tolerated by the passage of time. Israeli occupation leaders and soldiers will be prosecuted as war criminals for their heinous atrocities and massacres against Palestinian women and children. These crimes, no matter how despicable they are, will only boost the Palestinians' determination to stick to and defend their rights, land, constants, and sacred sites. 

Fifth: We urge the Palestinian people to continue defying the Israeli occupation and confronting all attempts intended to falsify awareness and create a culture of defeat, as well as stepping up the uprising in the face of Israeli aggression against the Palestinian homeland, detainees, and holy sites.   

Hamas Movement
Friday, 7 January 2022